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Military Uses Virtual Iraq To Treat PTSD

Posted by samzenpus on from the virtually-fixed dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Traditionally the best treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD] — being raped, narrowly escaping the collapse of the Twin Towers, or witnessing a buddy die on the battlefield — is to have the person relive the trauma using his or her imagination. Repeated exposure to the horror can desensitize individuals and help them stay calm enough to reprocess what happened and get beyond it. Now Clinical Psychologist Albert "Skip" Rizzo has developed a program that has had great success in treating returning troops from Iraq. A soldier with PTSD recounts what happened, and a therapist seated before a computer then creates an environment in the program Virtual Iraq that captures the essential elements of the episode. By donning special goggles, the soldier can see a reenactment and while the simulation starts off relatively tame over the course of several weeks, the therapist monitors the patient 's response and more elements of the episode are introduced until the individual can finally go through an intensely vivid recreation of it without being overpowered by terror. Other programs offered to treat PTSD include Virtual Airplane, Virtual Audiences, Virtual Heights, Virtual Storm, and Virtual Vietnam."

18 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Other PTSD programs by Enderandrew · · Score: 4, Funny

    * Watching Uwe Boll films.
    * Being a chair in Ballmer's office.
    * Working as a new Microsoft guru and telling the angry masses with a straight face that Vista is great! No, really, it is!

    --
    http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
    1. Re:Other PTSD programs by SmokeyTheBalrog · · Score: 2, Funny

      Did you say border? Papers please...

  2. I'm waiting for... by MarkusQ · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm waiting for Virtual Staff Meeting.

    *shudder*

    Although I suppose the fact that I can joke about it means I'm coming along. *twitch* *twitch*

    --MarkusQ

  3. That explains... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Repeated exposure to the horror can desensitize individuals...

    That must explain American television. How can anybody in their right mind watch that sh*t?

  4. Of interest to Slashdotters... by mangu · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...do they have Virtual Girls?

    1. Re:Of interest to Slashdotters... by pilgrim23 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Virtual Ex-Wife?

      --
      - Minutus cantorum, minutus balorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum.
    2. Re:Of interest to Slashdotters... by derfy · · Score: 3, Funny

      Virtual Getting Out Of Parent's Basement?

    3. Re:Of interest to Slashdotters... by failedlogic · · Score: 2, Funny

      Continuing, with the theme, here are some more despicable PTSD-causing life experiences:

      Virtual: "I'm Pregnant!" ; "Children" ; "Wife: Let's go shopping!" ; "Let's install Windows on this computer!" and worst of all "0 - Troll on /."

  5. Hard Sell by omnilynx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, I don't think "Virtual Rape" and "Virtual 9/11" will go over to well.

    --
    ceci n'est pas une .sig
  6. Virtual Vietnam by Krater76 · · Score: 1, Funny

    Virtual Vietnam

    I think I played that game years ago. It was severely unbalanced in the beginning with the attack helicopters that couldn't be shot down and the M60 infantry being deadly accurate on the move.

    --
    "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" - Patrick Henry
  7. And for the Slashdot Crowd... by Sir+Holo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Other programs offered to treat PTSD include Virtual Airplane, Virtual Audiences, Virtual Heights, Virtual Storm, and Virtual Vietnam."

    And for the slashdot crowd, Virtual Pick-up, Virtual Bar-scene, and Virtual Date.

  8. Good idea. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Let me know when they come out with Virtual Catholic Elementary School.

  9. What about PTSD in Second Life? by A+nonymous+Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    What if you suffer from PTSD induced in Second Life? Do they have a Virtual Virtual?

    --
    Infuriate left and right
  10. Well... by actionbastard · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've had virtual sex so many times I'm desensitized to that now, too.

    --
    Sig this!
    1. Re:Well... by couchslug · · Score: 3, Funny

      "I've had virtual sex so many times I'm desensitized to that now, too."

      It's the calluses. Switch hands.

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
  11. Re:Might work for some things... by Spy+der+Mann · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't see this being particularly helpful if the cause was rape or watching a friend die though. I'd imagine you'd just feel worse.

    I was planning to get through a dungeon full of dragons... we were all ready, and then Leroy.... BWAAAA! *SOB*

  12. EULAs? by nick_davison · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Traditionally the best treatment for [PTSD] â" being raped . . . is to have the person relive the trauma using his or her imagination . . .

    Now Clinical Psychologist Albert "Skip" Rizzo has developed a program that has had great success . . .

    Other programs offered to treat PTSD include Virtual Airplane, Virtual Audiences, Virtual Heights, Virtual Storm, and Virtual Vietnam."

    Or, for people who've been raped and need repeated exposure, AT&T have created a program called "our EULA"

  13. Re:Might work for some things... by MPAB · · Score: 2, Funny

    What happened? Was he eaten by a grue?